Folding chair



March 5, 1957 J. B. GlTTlNGS ETAL- 2,783,825

' I FOLDING CHAIR Filed Oct. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 5, 1957 J. B. GlTTlNGS EI'AL 2,783,825

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Oct. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROBERT S. GITTINGS United States Patent FOLDING CHAIR John B. Gittings and Robert S. Gittings, Racine, Wis., assignors to Gold Medal Folding Furniture Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 14, 1955, Serial No. 540,399

Claims. (Cl. 155-439) This invention relates to a folding chair.

It is an object of this invention to provide a folding chair which is comfortable for seating and can be easily folded into a compact form or unfolded in one simple motion.

Another object is to provide a folding chair which is sturdy and attractive and the chair frame can be constructed from one type of stock material.

Another object is to provide a folding chair wherein no disassembly of the chair frame or removal of the chair canvas fabric is required prior to folding.

A further object is to provide a folding chair which is generally an improvement over previously known folding chairs.

Other objects and advantages Will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a rear perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the chair of this invention with the fabric shown broken away in two places.

Fig. 2 is a slightly reduced sectional view taken on the plane defined by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the chair of Fig. 1 but with the chair in the folded position.

The same reference numerals refer to the same part throughout the several views.

The drawings show a folding chair including a pair of front legs shown disposed at a reclining angle when the chair is fully unfolded, as shown in Fig.- 1. Two cross-pieces 11 and 12 are suitably attached at their opposite ends to the legs 10, as shown, 'to' brace the legs in the fixed spaced apart position shown. Intermediate portions of both of the legs 10 are pivotally attached by pins 13 to cross-members 14 which extend from the legs substantially horizontal to the rear of the chair. Similarly, arm rests 16, which also constitute cross-members, are pivotally attached to the upper ends of the legs 10 by pins 17, and the rests 16 extend to the rear of the chair. A back rest frame 18 is pivotally attached to the rear ends of the members 14 and 16 by pins 19 and 21, respectively. The frame 18 is composed of side members or rails 22 and upper and lower cross-members 23 and 24, respectively.

It should be noted that the members 14 and 16 both extend rearward of the back frame 18 for purposes described later. Also, the members 14 and 16 and the legs 10 and the back frame 18 are all disposed to form a parallelogram, which is best shown in Fig. 2 and is defined by the pins 13, 17, 19, and 21. The members thus described form a main frame of the chair and the frame is disposed at the reclining angle of the front legs 10.

The rearward ends of the members 14 have a pair of rear legs 26 pivotally attached thereto by pins 27. Crosspieces 28 are suitably attached between the legs 26 to secure them spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the front legs 10. The legs 26 are normally disposed at an inclining angle, in the fully unfolded position of 2,783,825 Patented Mar. 5, 1957 'ice Fig. 1, which angle is opposite to the reclining angle of the back frame 18. Thus, the legs 26 are arranged to abut the rear side of the frame 18 at the upperends 29 of the legs 26. A pair of braces or links 31 is pivotally attached by pins 32 to the sides 22 of the frame 18 to extend upwardly to the upper end of the legs and be pivotally attached thereto by pins 33. v

With this arrangement, the fronta'n'd rear legs are disposed on the insides of the members 14 and 16 with the rear ends of the members 16 and the upper ends of the legs 26 being immediately adjacent each other as the members 16 extend beyond the frame 18, and the legs 26 abut the frame at the plane of that extension. The members 16 and the legs 26 are thus disposed tolend mutual lateral support to each other and thereby make the entire chair a sturdy structure.

Particularly Fig. 2 shows a canvas fabric 34 attached to the cross piece 11 at the front legs 10 and to the crosspiece 23 of the back frame 18. The fabric is preferably tacked at the attachment places mentioned but the intermediate portion thereof is shown to be movablyanchored to the cross-piece 24 by a piece 36 of the fabric formed into a loop around the member 24 and sewed to the fabric 34. In this manner, the fabric 34"is taut and forms a horizontal seat portion 37 and a reclined back portion 38 with the entire fabric 34 being attached" in the nature of a hammock since it is secured atits two ends only. It shouldv also be noted that the fabric34 is formed with a wide hem defined. by the line"39"on each side of the fabric and extended along the entire length of the fabric. Since 'thefabric is thus doubled at both of its sides, the weight of the user is distributed from the fabric to the members 11, 24, and 23, due to the strong fabric arrangement.

The chair can thus be 'compactly and easily folded to the position shown in Fig. 3. The upper part ofthe back frame 18 can be pivoted down onto the seat of the chair while the foot of the person folding the chair can be placed in front of one of the legs 10 to hold the frame in position. The parallelogram feature permits the main frame to be folded while thebraces 31'permit the rear legs to fold compactly with the main frame, 'as is obvious from the drawings. In folding the chair, it will be noted that the fabric 34 is also taut in the folded position since the mid-portion of the fabric is anchored a distance from the pivot pin 19 substantially equal to the distance of the fabric front end from the pivot pin 13. The cross: piece 11 rolls' the fabrica slight distance'upon the piece 11 in the folding movement and the fabric is assured of its tautness in the folded position. Also, the fabric need not be removed or loosened on the chair prior to folding the chair.

While a specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it should be obvious that certain changes could be made therein without departing from the invention which should, therefore, be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A folding chair comprising a main frame including a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs with means pivotally connecting said front legs with said rear legs and said frame including a back rest frame pivotally attached to said means and extended thereabove, said main frame being disposed in a reclining position when fully unfolded, cross members attached to the upper end and to the lower end of said back rest frame and to said front legs, a one-piece fabric attached to said main frame between said cross-member of said front legs and said cross member of said upper end of said back rest frame for forming the chair seat and back and disposed to be spaced above said cross member ofsaid lower end of said back rest, said fabric attached to a flexible member anchorcs 19; said cross member of said lower end of said back res f oi y a h i g sa fa r o a d ma a frame along a line intermediate and transverse to the length of said fabric with said line forming the juncture between said seat and said back, said rear legs attached and disposed in said main frame in an inclining position for ,ahuttably contacting said back rest frame when said chair is in the unfolded position, and means attached between said rear legs and said back frame for maintaining the latter in said inclining position for securing and vertically supporting said main frame against folding under a downward force created by weight on said fabric.

2. A folding chair comprising in the unfolded position a pair of upright front legs, members pivotally attached to said legs and juxtaposed laterally to one side of said legs and extended rearwardly thereof, a chair back pivotally attached to the rearward ends of said members and extended upwardly therefrom at a reclining position and including two side rails each disposed in longitudinal alignment with a respective one of saidfront legs, a seat attached between said front legs and said chair back, a pair of upright rear legs pivotally attached to said members rearwardly of the attachment of said chair back with said members and extended above said members a distance sufficient to abut said side rails of said chair back for supporting the latter in said reclining position and said rear legs disposed in longitudinal alignment with the respective one of said front legs and the respective one of said side rails, means for securing said rear legs and said side rails of said chair back in a fixed position of abutment for maintaining said chair in an unfold-ed upright position against the forces of use.

3. Afolding chair comprising a pair of front legs, a cross piece attached between said front legs, a back frame disposed upright in the unfolded position to have a top and a bottom, a cross piece attached to said back frame at both the top and bottom thereof, members pivotally attached to said front legs and said back frame for separately pivotally connecting said front legs and said back frame to said members and with all of the above-mentiond parts constituting a foldable main frame, a onepiece fabric attached to said cross piece of said front legs and to each said cross piece of said back frame, the pivotal connection of said members with said front legs and said back frame and the attachment of said fabric with each said cross piece being disposed so that the distance from each said pivotal connection to the closest of eachcorresponding said attachment is substantially equal along said front legs and said back frame, a'pair of rear legs pivotally attached to said main frame, and means attached between said rear legs and said back frame for supporting the latter in said unfolded position,

4. A folding chair comprising a pair of spaced apart f m ess, a ba k trams ia ly ins arres s s de passs apart the distance of the spacing of said front legs, a member pivotally attached \with each of said front legs and said back frame to extend rearwardly beyond the latter, an arm rest pivotally attached with each of said front legs and said back frame to extend immediately adjacent said sides of said back frame and rearwardly therebeyond, each of said front legs and said sides of said back frame and said member and said arm rest connected to form a foldable parallelogram on each side of said chair, a pair of rear legs spaced apart the distance of the spacing of said front legs and pivotally attached to the rearwardly extended end of each said member and said rear legs extending upwardly belond each said member a SllfllClEIllZ distance to terminate adjacent the points of pivotal conneotions of each said arm rest and said back frame for abutting said back frame adjacent each said arm rest when said back frame is in a reclining position, a link pivot-ally attached to each upper end of said rear legs and o said back frame below the above-mentioned pivotal connec ions for securing said rear legs in abutment with said back frame when the latter is in said reclining position, a fabric seat and back connected between said front s and said back frame.

A folding hair comprising 1 Pair of spaced apart front legs, a back frame including opposite sides, a member pivotally attached with each of said front legs and said back frame with an end extended rearwardly beyond said back frame, an arm rest pivotally attached with each of said front legs and said back frame, each of said front legs and said sides of said back frame and said memher and said arm rest connected to form a foldable parallelogram on each side of said chair, a pair of rear legs pivotally attached to each said end :of each said member and extending thereabove a suflic-ient distance for abuthis said back frame when the latter is in a reclining position, a link pivotally attached at :opposite ends to the upper end of each of said rear legs and to each of said sides of said back frame for securing said rear, legs in abutment with said back frame when the latter is in said reclining position, a fabric seat and back connected between said front legs and said back frame.

Referenc Ci e in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 419,243 Great Britain 1.----- Nov. 8, 1934 438,760 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1935 816,591 Germany Q"; Oct. 11, 1951 

